Ettington Park Hotel

The best food I have ever had!

by kzngirl about Oak Room Restaurant

While staying at Ettington Park, we had dinner in the Oak Room Restaurant. It was a wonderful room with original 18th century Rococo ceiling and embossed wall panelling.

Our table was in a small nook to one corner…in front of us roared a large open fire and behind us the stars had begun to twinkle in the night sky.

Our first course consisted of a complimentary dish from the chef! A fish dish combined with green couscous! I couldn’t tell you what it was, but it was very tasty (even though I am not keen on fish – I could tell it was good!)

My starter was rabbit, followed by a main of pork belly and steak that just melted in the mouth – possibly one of the best-cooked meats I have ever tasted. The desert was almost our undoing: although it looked like small treats of different chocolate expressions, we could barely finishes ours…they were so delicious but boy, were we stuffed!

We retired to the lounge for tea and were astounded by what we were brought…A tray heaving with a china tea service and a plate laden with freshly baked biscuits and home made chocolates…

I have never experienced food like this before. I was so impressed by the flavour, textures and presentation of the food. It definitely blew me away and set a precedent for me going forward!

A great experience that I highly recommend!

We had a great time

by TripAdvisor Member ColinH66

Sadly we only had a one night stay at Ettington Park, but we were thoroughly impressed with every aspect of the hotel.

This gothic mansion has everything: a river meandering through the estate, fabulous views, a stunning victorian facade and a thousand years of history.

We were made to feel very welcome indeed, the staff were incredibly courteous and the quality of service was on a different level. There was nothing stuffy about Ettington Park and there was a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

In short, nothing but praise: the dining was superb and our room fitted out to an excellent standard. This is a quality hotel and we enjoyed every moment there - we can't wait to visit again.

If you are looking for a quality hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon, you won't find better than Ettington Park.

Wonderful hotel, excellent staff

by TripAdvisor Member WelshPeanut

I recently booked a weekend break at Ettington Park to celebrate my partner’s 30th birthday. I wanted to book a luxury hotel that was also steeped in history. My partner has always wanted to stay in a "haunted mansion", so I originally found Ettington Park through the Haunted Hotels website.

The extremely high standard of the hotel and the excellent service provided by the staff meant we certainly weren't disappointed. This excellent service began when making a reservation though Central Reservations and continued during our stay with every member of staff being friendly, polite helpful and courteous. Such was the level of service it seemed that nothing was too much trouble and I can honestly say that the calibre of staff enhanced our stay and made us feel very special.

It was an absolute pleasure to stay at Ettington Park. The high quality of the décor and original features added to the feeling of luxury and authenticity of such an impressive building with such an interesting history. We stayed in an Executive Room overlooking the front of the building, which was wonderful. The room was so spacious and comfortable and also scrupulously clean. During our stay we also really appreciated the thoughtful finishing touches, such as the friendly correspondence each evening from the Deputy General Manager, including places of interest and the weather forecast for the next day.

The whole experience made for a truly memorable and enjoyable stay and I cannot recommend Ettington Park enough, particularly for a special occasion. This was our first time visiting a Handpicked Hotel and judging by the standard of Ettington Park it won’t be our last. We look forward to visiting Ettington Park again and staying at some of the other hotels in the chain.

Spectacular!

by TripAdvisor Member upper

Just came back from Ettington Park and must say that I have rarely stayed at a property that can equal my experience here. Not only are the rooms spectacular - spacious, well appointed and comfortable - but the staff are the best I think I've ever encountered. They are friendly, approachable and eager to look after any need you might have. The property is wonderful for a getaway or a small meeting. Would love to go back, any time!

Fantastic gothic place to stay

by TripAdvisor Member rhysuk

We went to stay here for 3 nights over Valentine's Day and to see the Shakespeare parts of Stratford Upon Avon.

The hotel is fantastic, set in wonderful grounds and it has a real gothic feel. Although our room (standard) didn't have a view, it was spacious, well furnished and had a nice big TV for when we were feeling lazy.

The restaurant is wonderful, the valentines meal was great and the staff on the bar were fantastic, serving some brilliant cocktails (thought they weren't cheap).

Afternoon tea in the magnificent drawing room was great, and the pool and sauna were good (though slightly chilly).

Although we probably won't return to Stratford anytime soon, when we do, Ettington Park will be top of our list of places to stay.

Great hotel and lovely staff

by TripAdvisor Member charliesmum

I am very surprised to read the past few reviews for this hotel as we have just returned from a wonderful weekend at Ettington Park.

The hotel itself is a great gothic pile, complete with gargoyles and ruined chapel. The grounds were lovely and hotel was furnished appropriately with grand old painting and bits of armour here and there. My eight year old was particularly impressed with the secret doorway in the wood panelled library.

Our room was another great surprise – having booked a basic double + zed bed, we were delighted to find our selves in a two story room in the old part of the house, with a spacious double room, with stairs leading to a double sofa bed room & bathroom. Again, my son’s eye’s nearly popped out of his head when he saw the huge plasma TV with DVD in his room. The one in our room was smaller and less incongruous. We all slept well and didn’t hear noises from other rooms or the corridor.

The pool and sauna were clean and towels were soft. My husband was also given a running route map for a jog around the grounds.

With regards to the staff – this is where I was surprised by the previous reviews – we were overwhelmed by the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff. From the moment we stepped out of our car they couldn’t do enough to help, but mostly we were impressed with their friendly and welcoming attitude; quite refreshing compared to some stuffy hotels we have stayed at.

Dinner was fine, not amazing, but very good for the price. Breakfast was excellent with all the usual fare you would expect from a hotel like this.

I would thoroughly recommend this hotel and hope that the past few reviewers were just unlucky, as we had a great stay.

Oh yes - for film fans - the exterior of Ettington Park was used as Hill House, the setting for the 1963 classic, The Haunting.

Enjoyable Stay

by TripAdvisor Member Myshkin

My daughter and I stayed here for three nights in September 2006 and overall we enjoyed it very much. The hotel and grounds are beautiful . We booked only a couple of days before and our room was very nice. We were lucky to have the pool and whirlpool to ourselves the first night and also played a game of tennis on the courts. We were not overimpressed by the restaurant and found the meals in the bar were much better and better prices too. Breakfast was fine too. However I must agree that avoiding wedding parties is a good idea. There was a wedding taking place the day we checked out but some guests had stayed the night before and breakfast that morning was a bit chaotic. I never did get my cooked breakfast but gave up and had continental. My only other comment would be that it is not a good idea to arrive early. We were slightly earlier than the 3pm check in time so said we would have a walk around the grounds. However at 3pm our room was nowhere near ready and it was suggested we have a drink on the terrace which we did. It did take about 30 minutes before our drinks arrived, even though very few people around. Our room was finally ready sometime after 4 pm, which seemed ridiculous as very few guests appeared to be booked in. Other than this we found the receptionist very friendly and helpful and other staff members too and were glad we had chosen Ettington Park and not stayed in Stratford, which was our original idea.

Ettington Park Hotel

by kzngirl

"Shakespear County"

For my birthday, Adrian wanted to treat me to a night away from London. I spent a short while online having a look at what was available and found a marvellous deal for dinner, bed and breakfast at a hotel near Stratford Upon Avon.

After viewing the website, we were sold! The place looked wonderful - a real birthday treat. Driving up to the hotel itself is an experience: the bricks radiating a glorious golden yellow, the windows gleaming in the Autumn sunshine, to the left, dotting the rolling hills of green with splashes of white, were the sheep from a nearby farm. We felt a million miles from the craziness of London.

Read all about my birthday treat in my travelogue...

A Gothic Retreat

by kzngirl

For my birthday, Adrian wanted to treat me to a night away from London. I spent a short while online having a look at what was available and found a marvellous deal for dinner, bed and breakfast at a hotel near Stratford Upon Avon.

After viewing the website, we were sold! The place looked wonderful – a real birthday treat. Driving up to the hotel itself is an experience: the bricks radiating a glorious golden yellow, the windows gleaming in the Autumn sunshine…to the left, dotting the rolling hills of green with splashes of white, were the sheep from a nearby farm. We felt a million miles from the craziness of London.

I was curious as to the rooms; we were booked into a standard room and I was hoping it wouldn’t be a disappointment.

While our room was of a generous size it nothing special. What set it apart from being quite average, was the set of double glass doors that opened out onto the gardens. We could step right out into a beautifully sculpted garden, and from our room we could see the tower of the lovely 12th century Norman church.

The gothic building is itself fantastic and I would have absolutely loved to be in one of Ettington Park’s four poster rooms in the old part of the hotel as I am sure I would have felt a Lady of the manor with the greatest of ease! As it was, our room was nice but nothing grand. The bathroom was big, with some lovely toiletries and of course – a fluffy bathrobe (one of my pre-requisites to any special hotel stay!)

We began exploring the grounds…It was a lovely afternoon. The sky a bright blue and the grass so green…we wandered around the remains of the old church, looked at the gravestones, the engravings and the stained glass windows. It was so quiet and so beautiful…The gardens were gorgeous and it was such bliss to wander around and hear only the birds and the bees – no cars or bustling city noises!

Before dinner, we decided to check out the “spa” – a lovely indoor pool, deckchairs, a Jacuzzi and a sauna – what bliss. By dinner time, we were totally unwound!

We headed to the bar before dinner and were invited to sit in the cocktail lounge prior to our meal…we ordered drinks at the bar and they were brought to us by the waiting staff, these were also accompanied by a large plate containing a wonderful selection of mouth-watering canapés! So fresh – some of them were still warm from the oven!

Our menus were brought to us, and we perused them and the wine list before making our selection. Once our table was readied and the wine brought up from the celler, we were invited to move into the Oak Room Restaurant. With its original 18th century Rococo ceiling and embossed wall panelling, it looked very magnificent.

Our table was in a small nook to one corner…in front of us roared a large open fire and behind us the stars had begun to twinkle in the night sky.

Our first course consisted of a complimentary dish from the chef! A fish dish combined with green couscous! I couldn’t tell you what it was, but it was very tasty (even though I am not keen on fish – I could tell it was good!)

My starter was rabbit, followed by a main of pork belly and steak that just melted in the mouth – possibly one of the best cooked meats I have ever tasted. The desert was almost our undoing: although it looked like small treats of different chocolate expressions, we could barely finishes ours…they were so delicious but boy, were we stuffed!

We retired to the lounge for tea and were astounded by what we were brought…A tray heaving with a china tea service and a plate laden with freshly baked biscuits and home made chocolates…

Suffice to say, we could barely do justice to the wonderful breakfast spread in the library the next morning – we were so full, I could only just have tea and a very small bacon sandwich!

Our experience at Ettington Park was a lovely one…I think way too expensive to dine and stay over unless you can take advantage of their special offers. It was one of the best food experiences we had ever had, however the room wasn’t as wonderful as some of the others we have stayed in…All in all, we had a great time.